Front Door size

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Low Bucket
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Front Door size

Post by Low Bucket » Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:34 pm

Hi,
Will '23 doors fit a '17 - '21? Sorry for the newby question...are there any size differences in the early roadster/touring front doors? I'm still picking away at the old roadster body I found in a ravine back in the '90's. Possibly a guy or two who has been around since the early 2000's remembers me?...life has gotten in the way several times since then. Back then I had assembled 90% of a chassis but I had to let it all go and shelve the project due to a move. In that time I have still never run across the tools/space to do the woodwork but was recently contacted by a guy I sold my extra body panels to saying he might have a wood guy lined up....
I found it in Washington and it has the non functional driver's door, but I am Canadian and since this car will always be a Jacob's coat I'd like to convert to a functioning driver's door. I have found a local guy selling a pair of doors for a '23 but the main body is the early "low cow" '17-'21 era...
Can I use the '23 doors on this body?
- Thanks

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George House
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Re: Front Door size

Post by George House » Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:42 pm

1923 open Model T s are also of the low cowl variety and the doors will fit but I’d advise against it.
I don’t know why I turned out this way. My parents were decent people 🤪


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Low Bucket
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Low Bucket » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:11 pm

George House wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:42 pm
1923 open Model T s are also of the low cowl variety and the doors will fit but I’d advise against it.
Is that because you feel it might damage the historical significance or value? If so trust me it won't :lol: the "car" is nothing more than a few bits of crushed, dented, burnt, and rusted tin salvaged out of a roadside rubbish dump from the '40's-'50's that was set afire then bulldozed over the side of a canyon in the '60's! :D In Canada many '23's are "high cowl" I know the cowl and hood changed but did the doors get taller too? If there are "high" doors does anyone have measurements? or ways to tell if they are "high" doors? or were they all the same dimensions? - Thanks
P.S. this "car" is like a stray dog... a mutt... there are no numbers (pedigree) it followed me home and I intend to put the 100 year old bits of scrap tin back together because A) of the adventure I had finding it B) I can't throw it away (even though I should) :lol:

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Mark Gregush
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Mark Gregush » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:16 pm

Doors from 1915 to sometime in 1925 are the same. If you are trying to add a left door to left-hand drive, sounds like a lot of work for not much return. Because of the layout, it's kinda worthless. Now if you have right-hand drive, left-hand body, that would be different. Touring/roadster front doors are the same for both.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

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George House
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Re: Front Door size

Post by George House » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:34 pm

Rik, 1923 was a transition year. From the middle to end of’23 Ford produced wide cowl, 5 rib firewall Model T s that’s known as ‘24 models. Open car doors weren’t taller or shorter in the years Mark advised. As he also stated; if your T is US left steering, cutting and installing a driver side door will be almost useless for ease of ingress and egress. I have a US ‘26 roadster with a factory left side door and don’t ever use it - pain in the butt.
I don’t know why I turned out this way. My parents were decent people 🤪


Topic author
Low Bucket
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Low Bucket » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:35 pm

Mark Gregush wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:16 pm
Doors from 1915 to sometime in 1925 are the same. If you are trying to add a left door to left-hand drive, sounds like a lot of work for not much return. Because of the layout, it's kinda worthless. Now if you have right-hand drive, left-hand body, that would be different. Touring/roadster front doors are the same for both.
Thank you! that's great info I knew the rear of the cab was different than the '23 I had and I knew about the change in hood/cowl/grille but I wasn't sure if the doors ever changed...
Well I fully accept the "worthless" part :roll: it will never be numbers matching nor original... it was abandoned left for dead long before the first "restorers" began their hobby in the '50's yet somehow the pieces of tin survived 50+ years in a dump and 30 more in my shed :lol: Yes I think some would just scrap it
It should be pretty simple... a lip around the door opening...Also as I'm sure you are aware Canadian Model T's had 2 functional front doors so not much work for a good "Canadian" return :D


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Low Bucket
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Low Bucket » Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:43 pm

George House wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:34 pm
Rik, 1923 was a transition year. From the middle to end of’23 Ford produced wide cowl, 5 rib firewall Model T s that’s known as ‘24 models. Open car doors weren’t taller or shorter in the years Mark advised. As he also stated; if your T is US left steering, cutting and installing a driver side door will be almost useless for ease of ingress and egress. I have a US ‘26 roadster with a factory left side door and don’t ever use it - pain in the butt.
Thanks George and Mark, I get what you're saying now the steering /column/wheel/ pedals are right in the way


Topic author
Low Bucket
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Low Bucket » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm

But basically to sum it up: ...there are no "high" doors for pheaton / roadster ...all the doors are the same dimensions?

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George House
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Re: Front Door size

Post by George House » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:21 pm

Yep, ... you got it
I don’t know why I turned out this way. My parents were decent people 🤪

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Mark Gregush
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Mark Gregush » Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:36 pm

Low Bucket wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:43 pm
George House wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:34 pm
Rik, 1923 was a transition year. From the middle to end of’23 Ford produced wide cowl, 5 rib firewall Model T s that’s known as ‘24 models. Open car doors weren’t taller or shorter in the years Mark advised. As he also stated; if your T is US left steering, cutting and installing a driver side door will be almost useless for ease of ingress and egress. I have a US ‘26 roadster with a factory left side door and don’t ever use it - pain in the butt.
Thanks George and Mark, I get what you're saying now the steering /column/wheel/ pedals are right in the way
Add to that list, the parking brake lever.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup


Scott_Conger
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Re: Front Door size

Post by Scott_Conger » Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:16 pm

Having brought back a '23 runabout back from the brink of scrap, I can state with total certainty, that adding the complication of adding in a door to a driver's side panel would have added intolerable time and effort to the complication of the not-so-simple creation of the wood structure and the restoration of the sheet-metal. Canadien or not, I sure would NOT do it.

Additionally, though I own 4 "T"s", while lots of folks restore them, I would NEVER AGAIN bring a completely and totally decrepit T back to life unless it was 1913 or older. There are too many $4000 rolling/almost-running T's out there to putter on for far less effort.

Watching a Don Booth restoration via pix on the forum is a FUN proposition. What you do not see is the MAMMOTH time and effort involved in just the wood. Add to that large chunks of missing metal that is corroded to 1/2 it's original thickness and you have a whopping job without the complication of adding a door.

Reconsider.
Scott Conger

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